1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to honey extraction devices and especially to such devices which operate under centrifugal force to effect honey extraction.
2. Description of Related Art
Fixed frame extracted honey production (handling whole extracting honey supers as a unit instead of the individual movable frames) has been assumed to be more efficient in labor handling and equipment for a long time. As far back as the early thirties, several Western beekeepers used oversized conventional radial extractors to remove honey from small supers after the combs had been uncapped individually and returned to the supers. About the same time, it was known that extracted honey coming from a comb if caught and retained in the extracting reel until it was stopped would improve flavor and clarity, and probably cleanliness, because it was saved from the violent action of being thrown from a speeding extractor reel and smashing against a solid stationary extractor wall.
In the 1960's, a few large extractors were built to quickly extract honey from fixed frame supers and hold it in the reel until it was stopped before discharging. They were so large and expensive that only the largest beekeepers could afford them. Also, they would not handle conventional single movable combs and would require that a beekeeper replace all of his combs with those adapted to the new extractors. Today, even though the theory of fixed frame extraction appears beneficial, few beekeepers are actually using this method.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,273, issued Nov. 7, 1967, to Harrison, shows one form of a swing-type centrifugal extractor. The Harrison apparatus includes an elongated shaft mounted on a pedestal for rotation about a substantially vertical axis. A first wheel is mounted concentrically on the shaft to support honey extraction supers and a second wheel of larger diameter is mounted on the shaft above the super support wheel. The second wheel serves to support containers for centrifugally separating honey from mulched honeycomb cappings. A cage for providing supports for a plurality of honey extraction supers is mounted on the super support wheel and includes a funnel mounted on the bottom thereof. Each funnel has a discharge opening and a ball valve for allowing the extracted honey to be removed.